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NORMAL THYROID SIZE: GENERAL INFO

Normal Thyroid Size

The popular conception of the normal thyroid size holds that the thyroid should not be noticeable over the neck surface nor be felt upon palpation by the doctor’s hands during assessment. However, findings from ultrasonographic volumetry have exposed that a great variety of thyroid sizes exist although they may not be obvious.

It appears that the normal thyroid size varies in diverse parts of the world. In countries where there is iodine deficiency, the normal thyroid size is larger. In countries with plentiful iodine intake such as Japan, Iceland, Sweden, and the United States, the thyroid gland appears to be of “minimum size.” Thus, the thyroid is often indistinguishable in most people in the West.

Ultrasonography defines normal thyroid size with more accuracy and consistency. Ultrasonography is a safe technology. It is convenient and easy to use, thus it is replacing palpation in appraisal of the thyroid. In the course of the help of ultrasonography, some principal authorities define the normal thyroid as one whose enlargement mechanisms have not required extra spur to beat unpleasant influences.

In addition to iodine intake, other factors that affect the normal thyroid size include serum TSH absorption, body mass index and equivalence. Your age, gender and whether you are a cigarette smoker also add to the dimensions of your thyroid. There are still other factors but still unkown. Distinction in thyroid volume with respect to age depends on iodine accessibility. Where iodine supply tends to be scarce, thyroid volume may increase until age 40-45 and generally remains constant afterwards. In areas with iodine sufficiency, the gland tends to reduce in volume after age 40.

Usual thyroid dimensions may also be different for males and females, with bigger volumes usual among men. This outline may reflect the association between thyroid volume and body mass (or the body mass index). There is a different gender-specific pressure on female thyroid volumes during pregnancy.

There have been scientific studies linking smoking and a larger thyroid volume. There is a stronger association between the two in iodine-deficient areas, although this is not yet a completed issue.

Individual disparity in normal thyroid size is also heavily subjective by genetics. Your genetic make-up influences the quantity, receptiveness, and competence of the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) receptors that involve the discharge of the cells and also the production and increase of thyroid gland cells.

In a sense then, when the doctor says your thyroid is ordinary, this measurement is relative to the thyroid volumes in your part of the world and also on individual factors like your age, gender, and genetics. There cannot be a one-size-fits-all normal thyroid size.

Normal Thyroid Size




















Posted by Dr. Armando Chuvanessi 1 comments

NORMAL THYROID SIZE: THE THYROID GLAND

Normal Size Of The Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland is one of the ten endocrine glands that control the functions of the body by producing chemicals (called hormones) into our blood stream. As the blood travels through the entire body, the hormones, which embody important messages from the brain, are transported to the different organs. These chemical codes in the thyroid gland allow the organs to carry out specific progressions like development of the body and reproduction.


The assigned function of the thyroid gland is the directive of body metabolism. Metabolism is the speed at which the body utilizes energy and the speed at which its tasks work. Because of this fundamental role, thyroid gland secretions have a direct control on growth and the performance of the nervous system.

The thyroid gland secretes the most important hormones tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and calcitonin. The hormone calcitonin is also called thyrocalcitonin, and it works in tandem with PTH, the parathyroid hormone, to control the level of calcium found in tissues and the bloodstream. When calcium levels in the blood rise elevated than normal, excess calcium is moved, by action of calcitonin, into the bones for storage.

The thyroid gland can be found at the facade of your neck, near the position where your two shoulder bones meet below the voice box (or larynx). The thyroid gland is soft and flexible, weighing a mere 15 to 25 grams. The thyroid gland becomes enlarged, however slightly, as a result of any disorder, and the changes will be more visible.

Normal Thyroid Size






















Posted by Dr. Armando Chuvanessi 0 comments
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